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Tuesday, 08 June 2010 |
 The Bright Stars Program is heading in a new direction this year, using the annual Summer Academy as a way to build up the school-year Bright Stars clubs and recruit the next generation of young adults for the Diyar Swim Team, the Diyar Women's Soccer Team, and the Diyar Dance Theatre dance troupe. Quality of instruction is the focus of this year's summer academy, where between 24 and 30 children on each of the three activity tracks will receive intensive training over a 9-to-14-day period in late June and early July.
Children and youth of all ages will be welcome to train with the current members of the Diyar Swim Team and compete in a tournament at the close of the 8-day program, which will also involve cardiovascular and strength training, as well as creative and fun activities.
Girls aged 10-16 will have the opportunity to learn from the coach and players of the Diyar Women's Soccer Team during a 10-day training program which will also involve swimming and cardiovascular/strength-training. At the end, a graduation ceremony and a series of soccer matches between the practice groups will celebrate the girls' achievements.
The Theatre & Drama track will have two age groups (9-14 and 15-18) and meet for two weeks of sessions comprising two hours each of drama and dabkeh dance instruction and practice from the current members of the Diyar Dance Theatre troupe, and culminating in a final performance.
The students enrolled in the Summer Academy will also be enrolled in the appropriate Bright Stars clubs that run during the school year, so they can continue to receive top-notch instruction and build up skills in their chosen areas. Through the Bright Stars clubs and summer academy, Diyar is hoping to bring forth a new generation of committed and talented young adults to represent Diyar and Palestine on local, regional and international levels.
You can help a Bright Stars student shine by donating a scholarship to support a child's participation in the clubs and summer academy. Click here to donate now, or visit our website for more information. |
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Tuesday, 08 June 2010 |
 When you give a scholarship to the Bright Stars Program, what does your support do?
For a child like Miral, who participates in the Bright Stars swimming club, your gift provides an opportunity for physical activity and personal growth! In Bethlehem, most children play in their family homes or in the street, as opportunities for organized sports or activities that require any kind of infrastructure are hard to come by. In cooperation with the Dar al-Kalima School and Health & Wellness Center, though, the Bright Stars Program is able to offer soccer, volleyball, basketball and swimming activities. This kind of physical exercise is important to children in Bethlehem, where the anxiety that comes from increasingly crowded living conditions and the trauma of living under occupation make it difficult to focus on tasks, and can lead to disciplinary problems at home and at school.
Involvement in sports also helps young people's personal development, helping them to grow in self-confidence and build leadership and teamwork skills that will benefit them later in life. Supporting this further growth are a number of Diyar initiatives, including the youth leadership group and Dar al-Kalima College, where students can complete a full 2-year degree program or enroll in continuous education classes to build up the skills they need to be successful in their jobs.
The Diyar Consortium is fully invested in creating and supporting the next generation of Palestinian cultural ambassadors, sports heroes and civil society leaders, from the children of the Bright Stars Program through young adulthood and beyond. Bright Stars of Bethlehem is committed to Diyar's vision and mission, and we urge you to commit your support as well. Please make a donation today, or click here to find out how you can go and see for yourself the difference Diyar is making in the lives of children in Bethlehem.
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Tuesday, 08 June 2010 |
 The most striking addition to the college building this past month was the completion of the huge central skylight that towers five stories above the lower floor of the classroom building. The skylight will provide plenty of natural illumination to an atrium area, where students can congregate as they move between classes or during breaks. In addition to the skylight, pavers have been working to complete the smooth, reflective floor tiling, which makes the most of the light streaming in from the skylight. The stair tiles have also been completed in preparation for the finishing of railings and other necessary safety features that will need to be installed before classes can begin. With the addition of the reflective floor tiles and the abundance of natural lighting from the skylight, the formerly dark spaces have become much lighter, creating a much more cheerful atmosphere. Once the area is complete with tables and greenery it will be a wonderful place for students to congregate.
Other work begun in the past month includes preparation of the plastered concrete walls and gypsum board walls for painting, preparation for toilet partitions in the restrooms, and interior glass partitions and built-in counters in several areas of the building. All interior doors have been manufactured to order and will be assembled soon, and the false ceiling works are underway.
Even though the finish line is in sight for the engineers, contractors and construction workers who have been working so diligently these many months, BSB still needs your help to meet its fundraising goals for the DAK Capital Campaign. Please visit the construction update archive on our website to see how far we've come, and make a gift to the Capital Campaign to get us the rest of the way! |
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Tuesday, 08 June 2010 |
 During the month of May Diyar had the pleasure of hosting a volunteer group who came to the country for two weeks of service work through the Virginia Mennonite Missions organization. Twelve men and women between the ages of 21 and 80, under the leadership of Dr. Dorothy Jean Weaver, spent one week assisting with a new project at Nazareth Village in the Galilee before coming to Dar al-Kalima to spend another week helping with landscaping on the site of the new college buildings.
Virginia Mennonite Missions began sending teams in 2002 after seeing the needs of the people during the Intifada. Since then, they have been committed to bringing a team every two years to work in Israel and Palestine in an effort to be of service and build relationships.
The team worked in the cooler hours of the morning before returning to the Abu Jubran Guest House at the International Center to clean up before heading out to spend their afternoons visiting holy sites, learning about the restrictions of the Israeli occupation, and meeting with a variety of local clergy, local business owners, human rights workers, and residents of Bethlehem.
Most of the group had never been to the region before. When asked about their initial reactions, most were surprised that they found the Palestinian community to be much more prosperous than they had anticipated. Late model cars, nice housing, and updated fashions did not tell the story of occupation. However, travel and mobility restrictions dictate that you are very limited as to where you can drive your new car. Houses look new because they have had to be rebuilt after the city of Bethlehem came under siege and many of the buildings were either heavily damaged or completely destroyed. The latest fashions have become available since the Palestinian Authority began importing more and more items from other Arab countries rather than continue to be reliant on Israel.
While viewing the Separation Wall and touring the city, the group became fascinated with the graffiti. Graffiti is something that is highly frowned upon in Western cultures, showing up only in economically depressed areas such as the inner cities. However, in international locations where oppression is less confined and is not always a result of economic stress, graffiti has become a form of resistance and public expression. Considering the level of oppression that has resulted from the ongoing occupation, the group found the messages in the graffiti surprisingly positive, filled with hopes of peace, scriptural references and lessons such as “love your neighbor”, and looking forward toward a time of peace and reconciliation.
It was not surprising that the group was impressed with the famous “Palestinian hospitality” which they experienced first-hand. When asked if they would recommend this type of service oriented trip to others who may be considering a visit the answer was a resounding “Yes!”
We are all one in the body of Christ. When one part is weakened the whole body is affected. If you would like to volunteer, individually or as a team, the Diyar Consortium is willing to help you organize an itinerary that will be meaningful, educational, and spiritually uplifting. Feel free to contact them at
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. The Authentic Tourism program will gladly assist you in all your arrangements. In the meantime, we extend our sincere appreciation to the members of Virginia Mennonite Missions and all the volunteers who choose to work in the service of others. |
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Tuesday, 08 June 2010 |
 Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), who joined with Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) in a February 2009 visit to Gaza, a month after Israel’s military operation there, wants members of Congress to have balanced itineraries when they visit Israel/Palestine.
Constituents should press elected officials “to go to the region—and not just take the traditional AIPAC trip,” Baird says. An interview in the July 2010 issue of “Washington Report on Middle East Affairs” quotes Baird as opposing visits, such as those sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, that hear only advocates of Israeli government policies.
Representatives and Senators, Baird argues, “need to meet people like Rev. Mitri Raheb [pastor of Bethlehem’s Christmas Lutheran Church] and other peace activists. They should go to Jenin, see the wall, the checkpoints and crossings, see what they mean on a daily basis. Not just see one side.”
Baird notes that “there is more freedom of speech in Israel than there is in the U.S. Congress—and members of Congress need to hear that speech.” He says Congresspersons, while in Israel “should meet with Israeli human rights groups and journalists. They need to hear [Israelis] with different perspectives, not just hear one side.”
First elected to the U.S. House in 1998, Baird is not running for re-election. A clinical psychologist, he was chair of the psychology department at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, prior to entering Congress. He expects Middle East issues will continue to be of high concern to voters in the southwestern Washington district he has served for a dozen years:
(for the full text of the article, read it online at MitriRaheb.org) |
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